The title this morning’s quick note is a nod to writer Anne Applebaum’s recent article in The Atlantic titled“Illiberalism Is Not Inevitable” (12 April 2026). Her hopeful title referred to the surprising election results in Hungary, where the 16 year kleptocratic reign of Viktor Orbán came to a precipitous end. Hungarians gave Orbán’s opponent, Peter Magyar, a super majority, or greater that 2/3 of the seats in the parliament, allowing the new government to change the constitution if they wish. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Magyar, the prime minister elect, has already signaled that he will move Hungary quickly back into the NATO and EU camps. Hungarians have chosen freedom.

All of this is good news to those of us who have been concerned with the creeping growth of autocratic governments in the west. We have been left wondering whether we had reached the “high water mark” or whether we were merely in a pause. Personally, I believe that the sun is now setting on autocrats around the globe. I also believe that although the turn has come more quickly than expected, this decline comes as the result of a fundamental misunderstanding on the part of the men who came to power through what has come to be called “grievance politics.”

There has also been an interesting and related development that is having effect across all of Europe. The Ukrainians have been working around the clock to export their hard won experience and technological expertise, and there has even been a subtle rebranding whereby they are referring to their struggle as The Freedom War. The name is meant to evoke the understanding that Europe is waking from it complacency and in creating a widespread web of interdependent defence industry joint ventures with Ukraine, practically every country in Europe, from UK to Norway, the Baltics and Romania, is rising to stand against Russian tyranny. Such an awakening cannot be understated.

As a military historian, I am struck by this awakening since it is in many ways the diametric opposite of its historical echo from the 1930s. There seems to be a growing understanding that Ukraine is not only defending itself; it is defending Europe. In standing proud and defiant against the war criminals in the Kremlin, President Zelinsky has pushed many of his initially reluctant neighbours into the realization that the Russian invasion of his homeland was an existential threat not just to Ukraine, but to the freedom enjoyed by all Europeans. A once deeply corrupt Ukraine was first to turn toward a stronger and more law-abiding democratic governance. Hungary has now followed Ukraine’s lead. The snowball may indeed be rolling down the slope.

I am always heartened by a quote attributed to the Buddha:

The mind is everything. What you think, you become.